Family tradition
by Alavons-Child
Summary: Wesley’s sister and her friends inadvertently trigger an apocalypse while running an errand for the academy’s head teacher. Can Big bro and Angel save the day? Please rr
1. Hangover

**Chapter 1: Hangover**

It was half past six when the alarm went off at the watchers academy in Wiltshire so the dormitory was still very dark. Dinah Wyndam- Pryce jerked wildly awake as the sound drilled through her consciousness. Angrily she pulled her head under the covers to fight against the cold. It was freezing and as she had spent a great deal of the previous night in the pub having a drinking competition with a Samlack demon she wasn't feeling great. She knew it was a stupid thing to do. Samlack demons have three livers and are roughly the same size as a mature hippo. There was no way she could have won but after her eighth tequila slammer she wasn't too bothered.

She felt something soft hit her and peered groggily over the top of her itchy blue blankets down the row of beds to where her best friend Amy Phillips sat looking as bad as she felt. Her curly blond hair had matted and was sticking up at arkward angles. She wrapped her blanket around her pink nightie as she slipped her glasses on and called down the dark dorm it a thick scotch accent.

"Di... I'm dying!"

The other sixth year girls groaned

"Do it quietly then." Came a muffled cry and Dinah could just make out a small black hand waving angrily from under the covers in the bed by the window. The Watcher academies dorms were split up into girl and boys year groups. This meant Dinah was bunking up with nearly fifty other sixteen year girls, none of whom were keen on getting up so early. They moaned collectively and made hushing noises as Dinah sat up and called back to her friend.

"You're dying?" She moaned incredulously "Four pints, _twelve_ tequilas and whatever the hell was in that bottle! Why didn't you stop me?"

"I was too drunk" Amy sighed getting up. "Come on, it's our turn to make sure the firsties are up and ready before lessons."

Dinah rolled out of bed and shivered as her feet slapped against the cold wooden floor. Her head span dangerously and she swayed for a moment then steadied herself on the headboard. She hated being a prefect, it meant that she was always first up and last to bed.

"I'll kill Atlee for this, he only made me prefect out of spite!" She growled reaching for the sidelight.

"Wyndam-Pryce," Growled the girl in the next bed dangerously, "If you switch that light on I'm going to shove it up your arse!"

"that's no way to speak to a prefect!" Dinah smiled back viciously switching it on. Wrapping a dressing gown over her to cover her faded 'Man united t- shirt Dinah and Amy left the sixth year girls dorm quickly as it erupted with angry yells.

The dining hall was a large Edwardian room lined with bookshelves. It looked more like a library than a dining room but as the Watchers valued books above any other resource the school was filled with them. Dinah felt that it spoke volumes about the establishment that they only had one computer room but enough books to fill a football stadium twice over. _'There so _old fashioned' She thought angrily, taking a seat at one of the small cafeteria tables that lined the room

Her seventh year boyfriend Mod Bruce smiled at her as he slid an aspirin across the table. She took it gratefully and helped herself to a glass of water.

"Girls night out went well?!" He smirked knowingly. There was a hint of accusation in his tone. Mod was the head boy and took his duties a little seriously. Hanging out with Dinah had loosened him up a little though.

He was exceptionally handsome. Tall and muscular with deep blue eyes and dark curly hair that flopped down over his face. He was captain of the rugby, cricket and football teams which meant that every girl in the school had a major crush on him. Most girls would have found this a little intimidating but not Dinah, she found it quite cute that he blushed whenever a group of giggling second hears passed them.

Dinah rested her head down on the table and he patted he short spiked hair sympathetically. It was bright pink at the moment, purely for the purpose of winding the teachers up. It clashed horribly with the schools red blazer and the girls red and black kilts but Dinah didn't care, it was worth it to see the headmaster Walter Atlee sneer in horror as she passed. She and Atlee were caught up in a game of 'see who can wind the other up more' Mot recently he had made her prefect, so she dyed her hair an 'offensive' colour.

It had been going on since her first year when she had corrected him on his lecture on the most dangerous modern vampires. She hadn't agreed with the argument that Angel was a vicious killer that murdered every human that crossed his path, especially as her brother had been working with him for the past few years and was, as yet still very much alive. It had only gone to strengthen her belief that the watchers were stuck in their ways and couldn't accept that not all demons were bad. They were worse than regular people sometimes.

A loud clatter made her jump up. Mod's best friend Oliver Jules slammed his plate down on the table as he and Amy took their seats. Dinah didn't understand how Olly could be so slim when he ate so much junk. He squeezed a large dollop of tomato ketchup onto his fried breakfast and pushed his dreadlocks out of the way as he tucked in.

"That's disgusting" Dinah moaned, sneering at he mountain of sausages..

"Full English is the best way to start the day!" The Brummie smiled, waving a fork full of bacon at her "Besides, you might have more of an appetite if you two hadn't drunk your weight in vodka last night."

"It was tequila," She corrected sarcastically, "and don't you start. I've had enough from him"

"I didn't say anything!" Mod protested.

"It's the way you looked at me," Dinah moaned leaning over and resting her head on Amy's shoulder "all disapprovingly. It's like having breakfast with my dad!"

"Are you two sure you're fit for lessons?" Olly asked concerned

"Yeah," Amy yawned, "It's Latin and ancient civilisations this morning so we can have a kip and be totally refreshed for our Demonology practical in the afternoon."

Olly laughed but Mod didn't look impressed.

"You shouldn't sleep in lessons" He sighed.

"we're going to have to" Dinah shrugged "we've both had too much time off. And as we both snuck out last night and are underage I don't think 'sorry sir, I have a hangover' will go down to well."

She got up and kissed Mod lightly on the head and left him and Olly to finish their breakfast. As she and Amy left the hall a cold sneer called Dinah back into the room.

She turned to see a very strict looking man beckoning her closer with a long, crocked finger. It was Walter Atlee, the headmaster of the academy and he didn't look very pleased. His short grey hair was ruffled and messy and coupled with his filthy lab coat and thick NHS glasses gave him the air of a mad scientist.

"Miss Wyndam-Pryce" He called waving an ominous looking letter at her "a word in my office if you please."

"Bugger!" Dinah moaned assuming that the letter was a tip off from one of the villagers, "I've been rumbled. Look you go ahead and if they haven't' kicked me out I'll see you in lessons."

She patted Amy reassuringly on the back and wearing her most innocent expression prepared to meet her doom.

**Please review**


	2. An offer she can't refuse

Atlee led Dinah wordlessly down the long corridor to his office. The walls were lined with trophy's and portraits of previous headmasters. Dinah was always surprised at how different each head look. Some smiled down kindly at they passer by, others glowered. One, Rudolph Manson 1958-1964, sat crossed legged on a purple bean bag. He beamed out from underneath his long dark hair shooting the students a 'peace' symbol. Dinah smiled back at the portrait, '_My kind of head teacher'_ she thought struggling to keep up.

She skidded slightly on the tiled floor as Atlee stopped abruptly and produced the key to his office.

The door to Atlee's office was surrounded by wooden shields bearing the names of every single head boy and girl since the school was first established three hundred years ago. Guiltily Dinah scanned the names. There were fifty seven Wyndam-Pryces on the shields, including her elder brother Wesley. She highly doubted that she's be joining him on the door somehow.

Despite the amount of times that she had been told off by Atlee Dinah had never actually been into his office. She had heard rumours that it was like some sort of torture chamber with hideous implements hanging off of the wall. But she had assumed that it was just something that the older students tell the new kids on their first day.

She was slightly disappointed to find that she couldn't see much as she slumped into the office after the Atlee. It was pitch black. She groped around for a seat and sank down into one of the comfortable leather chairs by the wall. Through the dim light Atlee shot her a look of contempt and flicked on an old projector screen. Dinah looked at him quizzically but he didn't explain. With a twisted grin he pulled open the letter and slammed it down onto the projector.

A black and white photograph filled the screen. It was a security camera shot of a London double Decker bus, Dinah groaned knowing what was coming.

"Would you care to explain this Wyndam-Pryce?" Atlee smirked evilly.

Dinah found that his triumphant expression had really annoyed her. Deciding to push her luck she smiled back as innocently as she could and replied:

"It's a picture of Knightsbridge sir. See, If you look carefully you can see Harrods."

"That's not all I can see." He snarled, eyes flashing dangerously "Tell me Wyndam-Pryce, who's that on top of the double Decker bus?"

There was nothing for it. "Erm.. It's me sir." Dinah sighed

"Care to explain why you and you friends were doing in London on a school night?"

'_A bit of shopping? Sight seeing? What does it look like?_' she screamed in her head. It was probably better that it stayed there "Fighting a vampire on a double Decker bus sir." She replied coolly

"You know that this is grounds to have you all expelled don't you?" He smiled moving opposite her and crouching down so that they were eye to eye.

Dinah would have invited this but she couldn't let her friends down, she was forced to do the one thing that she hated most, beg.

"Sir please." Dinah moaned "The others only came to make sure that I didn't get into trouble! You can't expel them."

"Yes I can" Atlee growled in her face. Dinah opened her mouth to protest but he cut across her "But I won't."

Atlee rose and switched off the projector. After a moment the lights came back on and Dinah could see the office in all of its horrific glory.

As with the corridor outside it was filled with placard, portraits and trophies. However these trophies were not like the golden cups and shields outside. The decapitated heads of a hundred various monsters screamed silently down at the rooms inhabitants. It was the most ghastly and horrific sight that Dinah had ever seen. It seemed that there was some truth behind the rumours then.

She gaped open mouthed at them for a moment before Atlee's voice pulled her attention back.

"You and your friends seem to have a knack for vampire slaying miss Wyndam-Pryce." He was saying. "There are very few Watchers capable of matching your achievements. You're a strong fighter girl, an excellent magician and your test scores are almost as high as your brothers. It's just a shame that you don't share his regard for the school rules."

"We can't all be perfect." Dinah shrugged "But he's making up for it now sir."

"Indeed" Atlee muttered, his lip curling in contempt

Dinah shuffled in her seat agitated, "This is all very flattering Mr Atlee but what has it got to do with you not kicking me out?"

Atlee reached into his desks draw and pulled out yet another photograph "We, that is the council and I, need you to run a small errand." He said in a business-like manner moving back around the desk so that they were once again face to face.

"Why can't they get a Watcher to do it?" Dinah sighed

"It is too trivial for them to waste resources on at the moment but without attention they feel that the situation could escalate."

"And the situation is..?"

"We just need you to retrieve something from the Tower of London."

"What?" Dinah laughed incredulously "Why don't you just ask them to hand it over?"

"Because the towers guards do not know about this object." He Atlee explained "You see miss Wyndam-Pryce, two hundred years ago Angelus.."

"Oh, I knew it!" Dinah cut across him angrily. She rose up and marched towards the door "This is just another Angel bashing exercise. How many times must I..."

"Don't interrupt girl!" Atlee bellowed angrily. Dinah stopped in her tracks and turned to face him wearing the darkest look that she could muster

The head teacher continued angrily "As I was saying, two hundred years ago Angelus, William the Bloody, Darla and Drusilla took over a dungeon in the tower. They preyed on anyone foolish enough to wander down there. The guards officials began to avoid it and soon it was forgotten. A distant and unpleasant memory that turned into an urban legend. Soon the vampires grew hungry and left their hideout in search of food. They sealed up their dungeon and all of the treasures that they collected and left."

"So you want me to get one of these 'treasures'?" Dinah demanded

"Indeed. Miss Wyndam-Pryce we need you to retrieve the amulet of Andvari." Atlee handed her the photograph. It was a copy of a sketch depicting a small star shaped amulet on a long fine chain. "It is an amulet powerful enough to give its owner control over the beasts of the underworlds. They are dark, evil creatures miss Wyndam-Pryce that once rose up to enslave humanity."

"But were banished by the gods and sent to live in a hell dimension. Yes sir, I know the story." Dinah replied impatiently as he scowled back "Sir, It's been down there for two hundred years and nothings happened. Why do I have to get it now?"

"Darla." Atlee replied simply.

Dinah shook her head despairingly and sighed "She's in L.A sir. Wes said that Wolfram and Heart have her."

"Therein lies the problem." Atlee explained moving to sit behind his desk "The council have received information that Darla has informed Wolfram and Heart of the amulets whereabouts and we feel that it is more than likely that they will be sending a member of their London branch to get it."

There was a long pause while Dinah decided what to do. Coming to a decision she replied "Okay, I'll get it. I'll need to talk to Angel first and find out how to get through the sealed door though."

Atlee shook his head "No." He said firmly "You are not to mention this to Angel and his team."

Dinah stared back incredulously. He didn't seriously expect her to do all of this behind Angels back did he? She didn't know Angel very well but Dinah knew how Wesley felt about him and it didn't feel right not at least warn him about this. "But they'll need to know that Wolfram and Heart are trying to raise up the beasts of the underworlds!" She protested.

"The council see no point in alerting them if we get the amulet first."

"What about the seal on the dungeon?" Dinah demanded angrily "I need to ask Angel how to get past it!"

"I believe that Miss Phillips is rather adept at magic, and that Mr Jules is an excellent researcher. They will be able to help you work it out. And I suggest that you take Mr Bruce, brains and magic are all well and good but sometimes you can't beat brute strength." His mouth had twisted into his familiar evil grin as he finished.

"You seem to have everything all worked out sir." Dinah replied levelly, attempting to disguise her anger. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he'd gotten to her. "When would we have to go?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Tonight."

"I can't tonight sir." She shook her head "Amy and I are teaching the first year magic club some battle spells."

"I'm afraid that it must be tonight." Atlee snapped, his eyes flared dangerously "That is of course assuming that you and your friends wish to remain in this school."

"I can't answer for them sir."

"Of course not." Atlee grinned waving her out of the office "Let me know by the end of the lunch break."

Dinah slammed the door angrily and left the smirking teacher to make a very important phone call.

"She'll do it" He smiled into the receiver.

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Lindsey paced agitated by the window overlooking the city. It was dark outside and the streetlamps and headlights made it seem as though he were god, staring down at the stars. He didn't feel very godlike though, far from it.

He flopped down onto the leather couch by the window and ran his fingers through his long dark hair despairingly. A voice called soothingly from the shadows making his head jerk to attention. The pretty young woman with shining golden hair slinked towards him and handed him a brandy.

"Will you relax?" Darla sighed sitting down beside him.

"How can I?" He moaned "If I mess this up then the senior partners will have me killed."

A third voice made them both jump up. There was a woman sitting at his desk, feet up as though it were her own office She had even helped herself to a drink "What a shame that'd be." She smiled.

"Get out Lilah!" Lindsey snarled. How long had she been there, spying on him?

"Now Lindsey!" She laughed in a mock offended tone as she straightened herself up "is that anyway to speak to your _partner?"_

"What?" The young man breathed incredulously as the woman cackled.

"Oh didn't you hear? The senior partners would rather that this one didn't go horrifically wrong so I've been asked to step in."

"Nothing's going to go wrong." Lindsey snapped. He was annoyed that he hadn't even been told about this. Hid just come out of a meeting about it for goodness sake! He thought that someone might have at least mentioned it.. Lilah sneered at him, delighted to see that her involvement was annoying him so much.

"You sound very sure of yourself." She crowed "Haven' you learnt by now that when Angel's involved things have a nasty habit of getting tricky?"

"Angel isn't involved."

"Not yet," The woman shrugged "but do you really think he'll sit back while we unleash the big bads?! And Has it crossed your mind that things could go wrong in England?"

"What could go wrong?" Lindsey snapped impatiently "The girl gets our amulet our man gets the girl and we're done."

Lilah shook her head knowingly and said in a mock helpful tone "Which isn't going to help us much with the Angel situation. He's not going to be happy when you kill his friends sister is he?." Lilah downed the rest of her drink and walked over to the pair. Darla's lip curled in disgust. She hated this human.

"We can handle Angel." She growled

"Yeah," Lilah laughed "you've been doing just great up until now. "How is your hand by the way?" She asked viciously to Lindsey but kept her eyes fixed on Darla.

"Everything will work out." Lindsey snarled through gritted teeth as the girls glared at each other.

Lilah turned her attention back to Lindsey "And you know this for certain do you." She demanded sarcastically "Tell me do you know anything about this girl and her friends? She's not like her drip of a brother, she can fight. She'll be expecting an attack."

"But not from the inside." Darla smirked, glancing at Lindsey. He looked delighted to find that he'd caught Lilah by surprise. It seemed that she didn't know this part of the plan.

"What?" She asked totally bemused.

Darla turned to look at the tinkling lights of the midnight city and said softly "Miss Wyndam-Pryce is about to meet an old friend of mine."

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The students idle chat rang through the dining hall as Dinah, Mod, Olly and Amy took their usual table by the window. It was occupied by a giggling group of second year girls when they'd reached it but with the four of them scowling as they slouched towards them the poor second years soon got the message and changed tables.

Amy slammed her fork down after just one mouthful of her lasagne and turned to the others.

"We don't have a choice do we?" She said through gritted teeth

"Nope." Dinah shook her head sadly. She had spent the past half hour blaming herself and nothing that the others said had helped to ease her guilt. There was a long pause as they all glared moodily at there plates. Eventually Olly broke the silence

"How did he find out?" He moaned, jabbing his potato angrily "We're always leaving the school and hunting, we've never been caught before."

Dinah looked up darkly at the others "Oh, I reckon he knows that we go out." She growled "He just hasn't needed our help before. Now he needs us it's bribing time!"

"It sounds a little off to me." Mod said shaking his head "Sending students to do a Watchers job? And not letting you talk to Angel about it? Something stinks."

"Might be these fish fingers." Olly smiled, attempting to lighten the tone. He gave Mod's plate an overdramatic sniff and pretended to faint "Yuck!"

"Olly!" Amy sighed "This is serious! Were either facing a probable trap or certain expulsion."

"What do we do then?"

They all turned to Dinah but it was Mod that spoke first. "I say we do it! I'd rather face whatever Atlee has up his sleeve than explain why I was kicked out to my mum!"

A look of terror passed over all of their faces as they each imagined going home to their parents with the news.

"Yeah me to." Amy shivered turning back to her lunch. As she lifted her fork pandemonium broke out. Something big had landed on her plate spraying the four of them with lasagne. The all leapt up and stared wildly around to see what had caused it.

Across the hall several first years were running screaming away from the lunch line where a small purple figure was lobbing baked potatoes around the room. It cackled shrilly and bared it's pointed teeth at the students. Dinah recognised it instantly as an imp. It must have escaped from the demonology lab.

The four of the rolled up their sleeves and ducking down to avoid the rain of flying vegetables made their way across the room. Once they were near enough Amy leapt making a grab for the imp but it leapt up to the lampshade and she dived head first into counter. The imp shrieked with glee as the spluttering Amy straightened herself and brushed a large dollop of pasta from her blond hair.

Apoplectic with rage she summoned a fireball out of thin air and threw it with all her might at the taunting little imp. It shrieked as it hit him and sent him hurtling painfully onto the table bellow. Plates and tables went flying as she four of them sped after the creature and the other students fled.

"Ow!" Olly yelped suddenly "That was my shin you little.." He swung a kick at the imp who avoided it skilfully. It turned to gloat but instead found itself lifted off the floor. A glowering Dinah was holding the little purple monster at eyelevel as it twisted and kicked in an attempt to free itself.

The dining hall door suddenly slammed open. It appeared that the teachers had heard the commotion from the staff room and had come to investigate. Atlee was purple with rage as he stepped into the room. There was food and broken chairs everywhere. Several of the bookcases lining the walls had been topples and every single student had spaghetti in their hair. He cast around wildly to find the cause of all of this mess and found himself meeting Dinah's sheepish gaze. She skidded forward over the slimy floor with the imp still struggling under her arm and smiled

"We've been mulling over your proposal


	3. To the tower!

A/n

Thankies for the lovely reviews and soz for the long update but here it finally is chapter 3

XX

Wrapped up warm against the cold the four young watchers traipsed across the muddy field. It was important for the school to remain hidden from the watchers enemies so it was invisible to anyone that didn't already know it was there. This never ceased to amaze Dinah. She watched a dog walker move briskly past the impressive building without so much as a sideways glance. _How do they not see it?_ She marveled.

In truth the four of them, dressed in black and carrying a large rucksack, were attracting more attention. The group could see the woman glaring at them as they headed for the telepoter.

The teleporter was the best way for the hundreds of students to get around undetected it had been used since the school was first set up. There had been one or two slip pus when students had appeared in large droves on the schools premises at Salisbury Plain but the watchers had managed to disguise it as a pagan festival. To this day people still gathered around the teleporter and waited for the sun to rise. The students waited for the woman to disappear into the dimming light and moved into the large stone circle. With a grunt Mod shook the rucksack off of his back and reached inside. He rummaged around for a moment and produced four identical silver wristwatches and stun guns. He handed them out saying: "Remember we only use the guns if we have to."

Olly twisted his face into a put out pout. "Oh fiddlesticks," He moaned "I was going to see how many beefeaters I could shock in one night."

"Don't even joke about it Olly!" Amy scolded, shivering against the cold.

"Who's joking?" He grinned back evilly, the others ignored him.

"Have you got everything we need?" Dinah asked Mod, before he could answer back Olly had started to rifle through the backpack.

"Looks like you've even brought the kitchen sink!" He teased "And a spare!"

"No harm in being prepared." Mod protested defensively

"Yes but it'll slow us down." Amy sighed

"Guys!" Dinah cut across the bickering "Ten seconds."

Olly closed his eyes tight and braced himself "Oh I hate this bit!" Me moaned

"Me to" Amy nodded vehemently

"Four seconds"

"We could do without the count down thanks" Olly snapped at Dinah. She opened her mouth to reply but shut it abruptly as the ground suddenly seemed to give way beneath them and they all felt as though they were falling. Their bodies went rigid as everything around them blurred and span so fast that in made them dizzy. Dinah shut her eyes tight to and held her breath as her body was shaken and spun around. She was moving so fast that her ears popped and a whistling noise rang in her ears. It seemed like ages before it stopped.

Eventually she felt her feet smack down onto hard tarmac and opened her eyes as she staggered backwards, getting her bearings. They had landed on Tower Bridge.

From behind her she heard a soft moan.

"Oh, I'm gonna be sick!" Olly wailed.

Mod laughed and slapped him on the back "stop being such a wuss!" He smiled and swinging the backpack over his shoulder led the way down towards the tower.

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"Well done Cordelia!" Wesley cried sarcastically as he led the way into the Hyperion. He, Angel, Cordelia and their friend Charles Gunn were all covered in a thick layer of purple demon blood. "A Fanacian demon instead of a Ninteon demon! What fun!"

"Hey!" She protested angrily pulling a large dollop of the gunk from her long dark hair "you're the one that identified it."

"From _your _vision" The Englishman moaned shrilly "from the description that _you _gave me! How could you forget to mention that it had four heads?!"

Cordelia opened her mouth to retaliate but Angel cut across wearily. He was getting a little tired of their constant bickering

"Children!" He sighed, sinking down into the circular sofa in what was once the hotels entrance hall, "It's dead, we're safe so forget it."

"But if she can't…"

"Wes! Drop it." Angel interrupted "You know how hard it must be for Cordelia to concentrate when she's having visions."

"Yeah," Cordelia sneered, "you try remembering how many heads something has when your heads… breaking a…argh"

Cordelia swayed a moment then fell back screaming. Angel dashed forward and caught her before she fell. He laid her out on the sofa as her head rolled side to side in pain, she was having a vision.

The three boys stood nervously by and waited for her to snap out of it. After a moment she sat up gasping.

"There's some kid's… down by the docks… they're shooting at them… there's something else there… It looks like a vampire, only….it doesn't look as human as a vamp."

"You're sure?" Gunn asked.

Codelia looked up incredulously "Of course I'm sure!" She snapped angrily as Angel helped her to her feet.

Gunn looked mulishly at Wesley " I had to ask" He said defensively. The ex- Watcher nodded his support.

"Well," Angel sighed heading for the door "here we go again"

"Twice in one night!" Cordelia moaned groggily "The powers that be suck!"

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"Everything in place?" Lindsey asked nervously from the back seat of the darkend company car.

"Relax" lilah smiled confidently. "I have everything in hand."

"You'd better have," The young man snapped "We can't afford another screw up. If the senior.."

"Nothing can possibly go wrong" Lilah interrupted loudly.

Behind her a tall blond growled angrily "What if Angel shows up?" Darla snapped from the seat next to Lindsey

Lilah turned in her seat to face her moody partner "Oh, I'll handle Angel, don't you worry your pretty little head"


	4. Bloody hell!

Olly, Amy and Dinah stood huddled around Mod outside the walls of the tower as he examined a tourist map. They all squinted at the paper in the dim, orange light of the streetlamps, trying to find the safest point of entry.

"Where's the amulet hidden?" Olly asked for the fourteenth time since they'd left the academy. The others let out a sigh of exasperation.

"In the Bloody tower." Amy grunted, rolling her eyes. Olly looked offended.

"Hey I was just asking!" He protested, looking genuinely hurt.

"No you ponce!" She snapped and indicated the spot on the map "THE bloody tower, opposite execution block."

"rather fitting for a band of vampires" Mod smiled, tucking it away in his back pocket.

"And nice and handy for them to pull stray spectators away from the crowds." Dinah agreed, much to Amy's disgust.

"Did we REALLY need to know that?" She moaned pulling a face. Dinah chose to ignore her and stalked off silently up the street.

"Best way in is through traitors gate," She called back softly, beckoning them on "that way we can avoid the green."

As they moved closer to the entrance the four of them pulled out their weapons. Olly looked at his tazer with a malicious smile" First one to do a 'did you know?' or try and teach me anything about the history of this sodding tower gets a tazer in the buttocks." He grinned testing the machine. A bright blue light cracked and buzzed loudly.

"Bloody" Amy reminded him

"What?"

"It's the bloody tower not the sodding tower." She whispered as they drew nearer the grounds "Anyway, what if it's relevant?"

"What's relevant?"

"History, it's always relevant." Dinah explained on Amy's behalf, turning her head around the corner to check that their path was clear. "Even more so when were searching for an old relic hidden in one of the country's oldest castles."

"Whatever," Olly shrugged "just no 'Jane Seymore was imprisoned here in blah,blah, blah.'"

The others exchanged pitiful looks before Amy turned scathingly to Olly "Shouldn't be difficult," She hissed "Jane Seymore was never sent to the…"

"Forget it!" Olly sighed in frustration and threw his hands up despairingly.

Mod leant in close to Dinah and whispered in her ear "Any sign of Wolfram and Hert?"

"Nope," She said softly turning her head to face him, their lips were almost touching he was so close "no Beefeaters either," She smiled as Olly and Amy made retching noises in disgust "all quiet."

"Too quiet." Olly said seriously taking his fingers out of his throat. The others groaned and slouched of around the corner, leaving him looking perplexed "What? What?"

They were relieved to find their passage into the secret tunnel went unnoticed by the towers guards, largely because there didn't seem to be any. As they had swung around the front of the bloody tower they had expected to see at least one or two beefeaters across the inky black lawn but there wasn't a soul in sight.

Not even on the inside. They had walked almost casually through the old stone hallways straight to the entrance of the secret tunnel (hidden under a rug on the floor) and down its twisting stairwell into the cool, dark underground.

It was cold down in the tunnel and so dark that Mod was forced to turn on his torch. As he shone it around it fell on old tapestry's and statues of nuns, angels and cherubs lining the walls. There were no windows down here. 'perfect for a vampire.' Dinah thought. This seemed to have occurred to the others to. They all clutched their weapons and followed the torchlight apprehensively. but after ten minuets their nerves settled down and frustration sank in.

"What are we looking for?" Amy sighed despairingly as they trudged deeper into the tunnel. Dinah merely shrugged

"Dunno." She said distractedly, pulling back an ancient tapestry. "We'll know it when we see it."

"So it's like a secret passage or something?" Mod asked aping her behavior with a tapestry a few feet ahead. Olly groaned, frustrated and buried his head in his hands.

"Another one?" He moaned "A secret passage in a secret tunnel, why?"

"Well the tunnel itself isn't a 'secret' secret. It's been used since the late sixteenth century." Mod explained as he led the way. Behind them Dinah let out a triumphant laugh

"See," She smirked "history was relevant HA!"

"Smart arse!" Olly muttered, though he too was grinning. Mod didn't seem as at ease as they were. He paused at the end of the passageway where the tunnel branched off and peered cautiously around the corner. Finding nothing there the others were surprised to see him tense even more rather than relax. He turned back to face them looking very ill at ease.

"This is wrong." He said, shaking his head "We should have come across someone by now. A guard a ghost, a stray vampire, anything!"

Suddenly the others all became as tense as him and glanced paranoid over their shoulders. Olly pursed his lips and shook his head "You really know how to put your men at ease don't you!" He muttered sarcastically.

"We should be on our guard"

"I was before that comment, now I'm wetting myself."

A sudden whistling noise caused Dinah to turn wildly around "Shh!" She whispered hurriedly breaking up their minor spat as she strained to listen "Did you hear that?"

Both of the boys stood silent and listened intently as it came again.

"Oh great," Amy rolled her eyes "this is never good is it?"

"Will you stop being such a wuss?" Olly teased "I've seen you kick arse tons of times!"

"This is different," Amy protested, almost angrily "we're in a secret tunnel at a closed tourist attraction famed for its bloody history. Not only that but we've been sent here by an evil, untrustworthy establishment to beat another evil, untrustworthy establishment to some freaky amulet." Her voice rose as she became more worked up "This is NOT some altercation in a bar with a drunken vampire! Strange noises right now are NOT GOOD!"

By the time that she'd finished she was almost shouting. Dinah put her hand to her lips to indicate that they should be quiet.

"Shh!" She whispered "It's a whistling noise."

Olly shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned "The wind coming through a window." He suggested casually. Amy looked hopeful.

"We're two stories below surface level" Mod reminded them, trying to locate the source.

Amy turned around wildly, searching the dark passage. "Bugger!" She moaned.

Olly had spotted something. "Look, there!" He called excitedly pointing a few yards down the new corridor to a flapping piece of cloth "That tapestry's flapping in a breeze."

They all moved closer to investigate. As Dinah held her palm to the base of the wall she felt a cool breeze tickle her skin. She nodded so the Olly ripped the tapestry off of the wall with relish and threw it to the floor. Mod didn't seem too impressed, he had a slightly higher regard for other peoples property than Olly.

_'Actually'_ Thought Dinah, _' Most convicted vandals have a higher regard for other peoples property than Olly'_

All the same, Mod bit his tongue and shone his torch onto the now bare wall, slightly darker than the rest of the wall as it had been hidden from the light for so long. There was a hinge on the left hand side.

"Okay," Olly said, taking a deep breath and centering himself "so Angel and his mob built their lair down there."

Dinah merely nodded

"How do we get in?"

"Dunno."

Olly shook his head and smiled "You're lack of preparation is astounding Di!"

"I'm just working with what they've given me" Dinah protested running her hands over the wall in search of a switch "which is Zip!"

Olly laughed mirthlessly "Do you get the feeling that they want us to fail?"

"Nonsense," Amy replied sarcastically "why would our loving headmaster send us to our doom?"

Dinah wasn't listening "There must be a trigger somewhere." She said, more to herself than the others. She reached out for Mod's torch and guided his hand across the wall until it shone upon something scratched into the stone.

_meretrix meretricis_

Dinah turned and scanned the tunnel for something to fit the clue. It was decorated much the same as the rest of the tunnel, religious icons and battle memorabilia. Her eyes fell onto a likely suspect "The nun!" She cried triumphantly, darting forward to a large statue of a virtuous looking nun..

Mod shook his head as Dinah pushed against the statues breast "That doesn't mean nun it means.." There was a click and the segment of the wall, once hidden behind the discarded tapestry rolled back with an almighty rumble that indicated that it hadn't been used in years.

Ollys jaw was on the floor as his head bounced between the new passage and the nun. "Wow," He breathed "Angel must have known some funny nuns!"

Mod nudged him out of the way gently and aimed his torch into the tunnel. It didn't shine very far but from the little they could see the tunnel seemed entirely different to the rest of the tower. It was decorated in an early Victorian style. Huge paintings lined the walls, brass chandeliers hung unlit from it low ceiling it must have been quite comfortable down here for the murderous band.

The four young watchers edged in cautiously. It stank, there was a musty mould smell inside that made them choke as they advanced. Each footstep kicked up dust from the dark carpet. The dust was so thick that they could see their footstep behind them, but nothing in front. It seemed at first that nothing had moved down here in years but as they drew close to a bookcase nearly half a mile in the group realized that they couldn't possibly be alone.

On the floor by the case, and leading away from it were a set of enormous footprints.

"Look at the size of those!" Olly gasped as Mod shone his torch further into the gloom.

Next to her Dinah felt Amy tremble slightly

"How big are Angels feet?" She asked in a would be calm voice.

"You know that never really comes up when I talk to Wes," Dinah replied, her mouth dry with fear "but I'll be sure to ask next time"

Mod turned seriously to the rest of the group "Might be a giant" He suggested. Amy and Olly seemed to find this funny..

"A giant!" Olly snorted incredulously "You're having me on."

"there is no such thing as giants!" Amy said confidently but her certainty wavered as Mod and Dinah exchanged a knowing glance through the gloom "Is there?"

Dinah shook her head and sighed deeply "Do you two pay ANY attention in lessons?" She demanded.

"No," They replied in unison "neither do you though."

"Yes I do" Dinah protested, though she knew deep down that they were right.

"No you don't"

"So how come I know about giants then?"

"You're a super brain freak," Amy reminded her "raised by watchers. Your first words were an incantation to summon a Brinzark daemon!"

"Oh yeah," Dinah smiled proudly. It was true her upbringing had given her an unfair academic advantage over her friends.

Olly interrupted them loudly "So what are we talking here, just a tall bloke or the good old 'fee fie foe fum…'?"

Once again Dinah and Mod exchanged an apprehensive look and glanced nervously down the passage "We're Englishman soup!" Dinah confirmed with a nod.

"I'm not," Amy smiled confidently "I'm Scottish"

"Well as good as," Mod shrugged "anyway that's just a myth giants'll eat anyone."

Amy looked outraged "Sod off!"

"Come on were practically the same," Olly said dismissively, "we've got the same national anthem!"

Amy's mouth was almost on the floor "So?" she spluttered " I don't know the words."

"Neither do I." Olly smirked "See where one and the same."

"I know the 'sex pistols' version." Mod put in unhelpfully.

"Guys!" Dinah cut in, appalled by their lack of professionalism "Can I draw your attention back to the rather large racially indiscriminant being that may well be at the end of the tunnel!"

Collectively they turned to face the dark pace stretching before them. In the distance they could hear a soft moaning sound. It chilled Dinah to the bone but she didn't want to loose face in front of the others. She indicated that they should move on but even Mod seemed reluctant.

"After you." He smiled courteously..


End file.
